Love At First Sight REWRITE
by mythology1746
Summary: First of my rewritten stories: The Volturi have been sending memebers of the Guard since that meeting in the clearing. That was fine until Alec and Renesmee fell in love. All canon pairing minus the obvious Nessie/Alec rather that Nessie/Jacob. T for cursing and because Twilight would be rated T.
1. AN

**Ok. Hi. I understand there has been radio silence from my profile for about a year now, and a lot of my stories have been sitting incomplete since before then. I feel I should explain: I have now finished sophomore year of high school. Life has gotten seriously busy for me. I'm fifteen now, nearly sixteen (on July 17th). I have gone and reviewed the stories on this website, and they are f*cking horrible. I seriously wrote like crap. Honestly, I can't believe I ever published those. Some will be re-written and reposted. A few won't, though I'm not entirely sure which ones. This has been done first because it's actually ****_complete_****, so I only had to edit it, not complete the story. Hope you enjoy it.  
****Love always,  
-mythology1746 {formerly Starlight1746}**


	2. 1

**Hello(: So, I will be posting a new chapter for this one every other day...I mean, there're only five chapters in whole as it is, discounting my note at the beginning.  
-mythology1746**

I hate when they get like this. I mean, it's not that I appreciate the Volturi's visits at all—I hate them—but my whole family gets all irritated and pissed whenever they come within a 300 mile radius of us. Dad got all tense when he got off the phone with Aro: apparently, this time he was sending two members by the names of Jane and Alec. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember hearing that they are super-dangerous or something (I faintly remember a pair of vampires once telling me they were known as the "witch twins"), but I can't be 100% sure—my memory from back when I was a baby isn't very good. All I know is that they're supposed to get here soon, Jake is freaking out, mom keeps running around the house, Alice is paying attention to only the future, and Carlisle is taking off work. I just wish I knew what was so special about this one particular visit, because there's definitely something off.

"Nessie, sweetie..." I hear my mom's gentle voice from the hallway.

"Come in!" I say.

She enters my room, and begins speaking at once, low and just quick enough I have to strain to understand all the words. "Honey, their flight seemed to have arrived…ahead of schedule. They'll be here in a couple of minute. Be downstairs as soon as you can." Her voice was careful and measured, as though wary of my reaction.

"Ok, on my way." I murmur, and grab a comb; mom leaves. I pull it through my shoulder length curls before throwing it onto my bed and sprinting down the stairs.

I find my family all in various agitated positions in the living room: Rosalie and Emmett sit, stiff-backed, on the couch; Alice and Jasper share the loveseat, though both their eyes are squeezed shut in concentration; Carlisle and Esme sit at the stools at the counter that sits on the half-wall dividing us from the kitchen; mom and dad have a very hushed conversation in the corner—hushed and silent so that only I can't hear it, naturally; Jake paces in another corner, throwing anxious glances at the door every couple of seconds; Seth, Leah, Quil, and Embry were each sitting on a different level of the other staircase (the spiral staircase that Leah requested, so we didn't "force her to traipse vampire stench" every time she goes to her room in the attic).

The doorbell rings, and everyone turns to stares at the foyer.

Carlisle walks over and pulls it open, revealing two vampires that were obviously Jane and Alec. They were twins, as that vampire from so long ago had said, and they were stunning. The girl, Jane, had shoulder length brown hair, a forever-young face, and delicate features that worked well with her black dress and plain flats; her cloak was swaying in the mild winter breeze of the front porch. The boy, Alec, was quite as stunning if not more so. He had the same colour brown hair, but it was shaggy and half-hiding his eyes; he wore a gray suit that looked great under his near-black cloak, which as well was swaying in the winter air. He was hot. And cute. And in a different situation, maybe I would have—

Dad, who is always careful to keep a monitor on my thoughts, growls. Fifteen pairs of eyes snap to him

"Er, hello Jane, Alec," he says, trying to cover his slip-up.

Jane nods courteously, her eyes still carefully on him. "I appreciate that, Edward. It has been too long since we've seen you." Her voice is clear and sounds like bells, higher pitched than even Alice's. "I see you continue to keep the company of the shape-shifters..."

"Yes, shouldn't that have been in those numerous reports that I'm sure you've been keeping? We made no point in hiding the fact." Dad's voice is still warm, but I feel the dangerous undercurrent; I suppress a shudder.

Jane laughs emotionlessly. "Nothing of the sort was mentioned to us, but I'm sure Heidi, Dmitri, Felix, and Chelsea all found it an unimportant matter to share with us. You're Canadian home is beautiful, if I do say so myself." She steps inside, her brother in tow.

Carlisle closes the door, and looks at the twins. "How long shall you be staying—we don't mind, of course, so long as you keep your hunting away from our area."

"Aro told us to stay only to the point where we're not intruding." Jane says, smiling a smile that is—if only slightly—more sincere than her previous one. She then turns to me. "Ah, for the real reason we're here. Renesmee. My name is Jane, though I'm sure you don't remember me you were just a baby when we met."

"No, I don't remember you in particular. I remember you had an army assembled to kill me, though." I murmur defiantly. It is what I've said to the past members who've been here, no matter how kindly they appear. My parents and my family and the werewolves hate my rudeness, which is why I still do it. Say that I am defiant if you will, but they are the reason I had to spend nearly my first six months of childhood hiding fear I was too young to understand.

She frowns, and Alec steps closer, "I'm Alec. It's quite a pleasure to meet you, Renesmee, I've heard marvelous things about you."

I blush. Out of the blue, my father says, "Nessie, I think you're getting thirsty, let's go hunt."

_What the hell, dad!_ I thought at him. _I hunted this morning! And do you really want to leave this impression on Alec and Jane?_

I make a note that I said _Alec_ before _Jane_, which is curious because it seems Jane is in charge.

It appears he made that note as well. "Oh, screw it! Renesmee, Bella, I need to talk to you in private. Now!"

Mom—as utterly perplexed as I am mostly pretending to be—and I follow him out the back door and through about three miles of woods in silence.

When we stop, he turns to give me an incredulous look.

"Bella, do you want to tell her about—er—that-classified-topic now?" He asks, suddenly nervous.

Mom looks at him like he'd lost his mind, a look that she reserves for Jake. "I thought we would let him do that?"

To answer, dad turned to me. "You have a crush on Alec." It wasn't an accusation. It was a statement of a fact. Of course it must be. He knows my mind better than I probably do.

Mom gasped, her face getting a dark expression, her honey coloured eyes turning worried. "No. That's not possible. Renesmee is smarter than that. Unless Alec has some sort of magnetism to him, there's no way—" She breaks off suddenly

"He is, I'll admit, one of those 'better looking' vampires the Volturi has been known to add."

"You guys!" I exclaim. "I don't really know what the _hell_ is going on here, but I think I'll go back to the house. I'll talk to you later."

I turn and—before they are able to say anything—ran back. I enter, everyone turning to stare at me. At the very least, the wolves—minus Jacob—had gone upstairs in our absence. Jane's chin is jutted out like a stubborn child's, and Alec kept his hand on her shoulder in what was clearly a restraining gesture. Rosalie glares at the pair of them, while Emmett's arm is wrapped around her waist in the same kind of I'm-holding-this-crazed-vampire-back gesture my father occasionally gives my mother. The others are in the same position they were previously

"Oh, Alec dear, Renesmee is back," murmurs Jane in what was clearly her _excited_ _tone_.

Alec's head snaps up, his scarlet eyes glittering in merriment. He and Jane seemed to have put their cloaks on the coat rack, revealing his crisp gray suit. Several specks of white snow linger in his hair, but it didn't really look bad. He looks completely at ease, despite the clear tension radiating from his sister.

"Ah, Renesmee," He says, dropping his hand from where it lay on her shoulder and lifting his head. "It is quite nice to see you back. Might I ask what that interruption was about?"

Several of my family members growled, but I disregard this. "I honestly don't know myself. My parents were just talking gibberish, and then I left."

He shrugs, and I smile.

What's the big deal about liking him, anyways?

—

It has been three weeks since Alec and Jane have arrived. Life's gone on and everyone's just been ignoring them, I suppose. I have been careful not to think about Alec near my father again, because I know that he would throw another one of his hissy fits. I did, however, sneak glances behind my family's and Jane's back. Jacob was getting more and more distant, which made me uncomfortable; he had always been near me, always there if I had something I needed to tell him or I just wanted to talk. It made me think that he had imprinted, but I know that that was preposterous, as—above all—he wouldn't be sulking in the attic, he would be out with the girl. And he would have told us.

Carlisle has gone out with Esme, mom, and dad to hunt; Alice is shopping with Jasper; Rose and Emmett are (I assume) on some sort of date. The wolves are running patrols for a reason I have not been told, and Alec and Jane left early this morning. Again, I am unsure of why. This leaves me alone, and so I head out to what I have dubbed my personal clearing.

It is minutes after I collapse on the ground with one of my mother's old favorite books that I see him appear deep in the shrubbery, directly across from me. By the way he stares unashamedly in my direction, it's clear he does not know I am able to see him.

I glance down to my book and skim my eyes over the words, as I normally would read, but keep my peripheral vision focused on where I see him.

After a minute, he disappears and I hear him ghost around the forest, circling around and stopping directly behind me. I hear his near-silent approach.

"Hello, Renesmee," his voice is calm, measured, "they so rarely leave you alone."

I close my book but do not turn. "My mother doesn't like to. She thinks I'll get hurt. But I can get away sometimes. Lose my scent in a jump."

I turn around to say more, and suddenly, he is right in front of me, an inch from my face. His eyes are again the colors of rubies, and they stare into me, intense and burning.

He closes the distance, and suddenly, we are kissing.


	3. 2

**Well. Here's chapter 2. If anyone has an idea for cover art...that'd be really appreciated(:  
-mythology1746**

When mom and dad return home, I keep my thoughts only on the books I read today. After leaving my clearing, I had taken a dive in a nearby river, then showered and done my laundry immediately. I shouldn't smell like anything buy my strawberry-mango shampoo. Of course, dad will know—if he doesn't already—that I am keeping a secret. I pray that he does not find out, but it is still likely. Either way, he can't do anything about it, and they _had_ to expect I'd be getting a boyfriend one day. I have the body of a sixteen-year-old, and my mind is _far_ past that.

I do understand it worries them I am falling for a member of the Volturi. They wanted me dead before I had ever me them. They wanted my family either as one of them or as a pile of ashes. But I know they will learn to accept it—they'll have to. And so will Jane. She is not cold and vindictive enough to not want her brother to be happy.

"Nessie, can I speak with you?" My father appears at my door as the sun is setting.

"Of course, daddy, come on in." I smile.

"Where were you earlier? When your mother and I got back, your scent suddenly appeared from nowhere." He was accusing me in that way that doesn't sound like it. I'm sure my head is being combed as we speak.

"I had caught scent of a particularly good-smelling mountain lion while I was going to find a place to read. I chased him through the forest and jumped past the river." In my mind, I clearly the mouthwatering scent of the vicious animal, the prolonged chase through the woods, the arc of my jump. His body relaxes.

"I understand. I just got a bit worried." He leans back against my doorframe. "One last thing, Nessie. Jake has taken the wolves to La Push until Jane and Alec leave. They're overdue for a visit anyways."

I pout as convincingly as possible. "Really? Ugh, when do they leave?"

"They'll be here for about another fortnight." He scowls. "Carlisle doesn't want to make Aro mad. Jane and Alec agreed to leave then. Actually, they suggested it." He sighs and walks away.

I feel myself relax, but only jut. I wish I could talk to Jacob—why did he have to leave _now_, when I most need his advice? He would tell me what I want to know. He would keep it between us, too, because he's good at that. But he is literally a country away, and when he gets back, it will be too late.

—

The next morning, I wake. I get dressed in some jeans and a tank and open the door to go and get something to drink, but stop when I hear the conversation my mother is having over the phone.

"… Jacob, please," she is saying, "They're here _for her_. If she just ships off to Forks, they'll either track her down or tell Aro we have something to hide."

It was hard to make out Jake's words, but I think I understand most of them. "We can't initiate her into the family without the _entire_ family present. It would compromise every ritual we have, and believe me, no one is doing that."

"Jake, can't we wait until Jane and Alec leave? It can't be that much longer, and I'm sure you can wait until then." Mom is pleading—that hardly ever happens with Jake.

"Look, you and I both know it can't. Can I come and explain the _situation_ to her? It would make things a hell of a lot easier, and then…well, you've seen what's gone on, and I know you've learned to accept it. Please, please Bella. I'll be there in twelve hours." The line is cut off.

Mom calls my name after sighing. I head downstairs, and sit across from her on the couch. She looks frazzled.

"Jake's on his way, sweetie. He'll be here later tonight."

I decide to play stupid. "He just left, and now he's coming back?" I ask.

"Yes. He has some things he needs to…explain to you, for lack of a better description. I promise, it'll all make sense."

"What are you and dad hiding from me?" I demand.

"That's why Jake's coming back—he's going to explain some things. Ok? Things your father and I can't."

"Fine; I'm going out."

I don't let her respond. I simply take my purse from the closet in the foyer and leave.

—

A couple of hours later, I find myself sitting on top of a roof and staring out over the city. I smell him appear to my left, his scent wafting my way from the strong wind. It is sweet as candy. I turn to him, and his eyes are almost glowing scarlet—he must have been out hunting.

"I didn't expect to get another moment alone with you." He smiles.

"Don't come closer; there isn't anything I can cleanse my scent with, and I want to avoid awkward questions." I warned.

He shrugs. "You know my sister and I will be here another fortnight. It's what we've agreed to with Carlisle. We've asked Aro as well, and he agrees."

"Okay." I whisper, and he is gone.


	4. 3

Jake arrives late, at nearly ten at night. Mom and dad and he decide it is better to wait until morning to tell me what he needs to, so I am forced to be curious for another twelve hours.

We now sit in the forest in a smaller clearing.

"So..." he mutters.

"So?" I repeat.

He takes a deep breath. "I have something important to tell you, Nessie, and I don't really know how to say it."

"I kinda figured, Jake. I mean, you run away to La Push, then come back less than two days later? That's totally nuts." I laugh shakily.

"Can you stop making this into a joke, Renesmee?" He snaps; I can tell he is mad—only my mother uses my full name.

"Sorry, Jake, you're just—just confusing me."

"Look, Nessie," Another deep breath. "I love you."

I raise an eyebrow. "That's what you came all this way to tell me—that you love me?" I burst out laughing, despite his earlier anger. "I've known that for years, Jake! You're my best friend, and I love you, too. Why are you so jittery about it?"

Before I can think, he has stood, pulling me onto my feet as well. "No," he growled. For one second I though he had seen Jane or Alec, but then I am up against a tree; he turn son his heel, punching at an oak—it dents to the shape of his fist.

"Ow!" I complain, a little late, as he sighs heavily.

"Look, just shut up for a second! I'm trying to say something, and you keep interrupting me!" I stay silent, waiting for him to continue. "I don't just love you like a best friend, Renesmee. I'm _in_ love with you. You know about all the legends of Imprinting. Well, I imprinted on you, minutes after you were born. I only want _you_. It's all I've ever wanted. And now Amanda's had her little baby boy, and he needs to be inducted into the tribe—a ritual that can't go on without the entire family. And _you_ are part of the family because I imprinted on you. We need you there. It's never happened like this before, with a member of the pack so far away."

I am stunned, to say the least. A million things went through my head. How could I have been so stupid? He's been my best friend since practically my birth and is always there for me. And of course that had to be why dad was so mad that I liked Alec. Not only because he was from the Volturi, but also because I already had someone made for me. And Mom was mad because she had broken Jake's heart (as I had been told the story many times) and now thought she would repair it through me. Idiot! I should have seen this coming.

"Nessie?" He asked, suddenly gentle; it seems I've been absorbed in my thoughts way too long. "So, will you come back with me? Will you come to La Push?"

"No," I answer without thinking. "I—I just can't. Jake, this is just too much. I have to—I have to go. I'm sorry."

I see his stupefied expression for only a moment before I break into a run. I head north, away from our house and my clearing, where Alec's scent has polluted mine. When I hit the lake, I ditch my purse and submerge myself.

Finally, I can think clearly. Jake is probably at my house by now, telling everyone—perhaps not Alec or Jane—what was happening. They will come out and search for me. They will drag me back. They will want to force me to be with Jacob. That latter of that will not happen, no matter what. Jake is my best friend, not my lover. Besides, that would be _sick_—he used to be in love with my mom! He _kissed_ her! It didn't matter. I am already in love. With Alec. It feels good to think. _I love Alec_.

I wouldn't ever be able to think of Jake like that, anyways. I love him as a friend. He's the best friend anyone could ever have. But I can't think of him like that. He's like a brother. It would be like making out with Jasper. I could never do it.

—

I resolve to go home, and walk in to find my whole family, Jake, Alec, and Jane waiting for me in the sitting room. Alice scoffs at my sopping wet clothing, but says nothing. I can feel Jasper's influence over the room, forcing calm upon everyone; I try and resist, setting my jaw. Jane appears bored, but I can tell she is curious as to the situation at hand; Alec merely raises an eyebrow at my entrance.

"Well," my father says. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing" I reply. "There's nothing I've done wrong. Why should I have to defend _nothing_?"

Mom stands in one rigid, lightning fast movement. "You've done nothing wrong? _Nothing wrong_! How dare you insult us like that? Of course you've done something _wrong_! You've been insensitive and mean and unethical and cruel. You've absolutely destroyed any chance of you doing anything on your own ever again. If I have to—"

Dad put an arm on her shoulder; I felt another wave of calm run through the air. If Japer kept this up, I might pass out, my body would be going so slow.

"Calm down, we can handle this like civil people, can we not?" Alec said. "Would someone please explain what is happening, and maybe we can all talk about this?"

"No, _Volturi_," mom snarled, "We can_not_ handle this nicely, because this has been in the making for a decade, and now Renesmee is ruining it _all_!"

"Excuse me, _mother_, but from what I understand about Imprinting is that it is _her_ final decision in the end. Not anyone else's. And that she's free to decline, am I wrong, dad?" Appealing to dad is much safer at the moment—asking mom would blow up in my face.

Dad bites his lip. He knows I am right, of course.

"That's not the point." Mom says promptly. "The point is—"

"It's not the point?" I shriek. "It's _exactly_ the point. They're supposed to make the girl happy, right? I can't _be_ happy like that, mom. You have to know that. I'm not going to make myself unhappy just so you can pay him back your debt from so long ago. It's my life and mother or not, you don't get to control it." Jasper tries to soothe me with an extra wave of calm, but I shrug it off, my anger peaking again. "I want to be _happy_. Why is that such a fucking problem? You did it to Jacob with dad, so why the hell can't I? Just because I'm the _child_ around here doesn't mean I can be pushed around and told what to do, who to love, and get no reason other than 'just cause it should be that way'! So you know what, I'm done. I'm sick and tired of you all controlling me around."

I turn and storm from the room, not even bothering to take my purse. It doesn't matter, there's no one I'll want to talk to around here.

—

I don't know where I am, but it's really cold; I just ran north as far as I can. I think I might be somewhere near the north border of Canada. I don't care who followed me; if it was Jake, I'll probably just take off into the water where no one can bother me; if it's any of my family, I'll probably stay and talk—except, of course, for mom or dad. If it's Jane (though it's very unlikely) I'd run to the nearest high-populated area; if Alec comes, I will stay and talk. I doubt I will see my father again.

In hindsight, I was being a bit of a bitch, but they don't get to control my life. I feel the smallest bit of regret that I was breaking a tribe tradition, but at the moment traditions wasn't my biggest problem. I can't deal with the wolves at all anymore.

I don't even have a bank account to my name; the only money I have is sitting in my parents' room in a safe that only I can't open. I guess I can go steal some food or something, I am starting to get hungry.

There is the rustling of leaves somewhere behind me. I turn just enough so that the shape was on the edge of my peripheral vision: it was a large, russet coloured wolf. Jacob. I turn back away and jumped off the cliff I'd perched atop, strait into the ice cold water. I look up: Jacob stands there, his large head hanging off of the side of the cliff; I can almost feel the intensity of his gaze. But I force myself to look away and dive back under water. I let myself drop deeper where his prying eyes couldn't judge me before I swim around the side, trying to find a beach; I still need air. I didn't want to poke my head up, though, he might see me...

A minute later, I locate the shore, but quite unfortunately, a gray wolf waited for me there. Ugh, does Jake _ever_ do something half-ass? Guess not when it comes to Imprints. I wonder what everyone else thinks about me... especially back at La Push. Now that I think about it, I'm sure they would have loved to see me with Jacob.

—

So, I guess now I'm on a different continent. I wonder who followed me here; I'm sure Jacob got the first flight to Greenland he could...I don't care, either way. I'm sure Rosalie would be proud that I didn't fall for "that mutt", as she called Jacob constantly; Emmet'll probably grin and stuff. Alice probably doesn't care much, nor does Jasper. Carlisle will be disappointed, and Esme'll probably be really sad. But I don't care. I'll get my way, somehow. Because I always do, and there really isn't anything else to it. Oh yes, I sound bitchy—I know I can be. But when it comes to happiness, wouldn't you be too?


	5. 4

**Sorry! I'm bad with timing...oh well, here's Chapter 4 xD**

I have arrived in a dump.

I have somehow ended up in a random little town on the outskirts of the country. The place is so small a human could run through here in the time it takes a vampire to scent down and catch their prey.

I stole a couple of clothes from the richest family here (they're so fat and lazy they'll never even notice it missing) and, for good measure, stole some of their meat for my dinner. I then leave town, now aimlessly wandering around the frozen cliffs in nothing but an old shirt, some dirty blue jeans, and bare feet. There haven't been any run-ins with anyone as of yet—but, then again, I could be anywhere and they wouldn't even have a trace of a scent to track me with. Yes, it is lonely. But I guess I can't complain.

It's better than my manipulating parents and those dumb dogs. The place is cold, don't get me wrong, but I'm really in the last place anyone would ever look.

—

"Please, Edward, I know that was her scent!" Is my wake-up call.

I stood and look around, hoping my cave-that-is-underwater-at-high-tide would be sufficient enough for them not to track me. Shit, my thoughts! _White wall_ I thought to myself _imagine a white wall. No faces, no voice. A white wall_.

"Bella, even if it was her scent, it doesn't matter. She's probably long gone by now. The trail leads right back into the ocean." My father reasoned. _Think of a white wall!_

"No! She would have gotten too tired! There's no way she could have swam to a new continent, gotten out to rest, and then swam somewhere else in a few hours. She would have gotten too exhausted. She's here somewhere. I need to find her!" My mother sounded close to hysterics. _White wall, white wall._

"Well, she must have walked in the water - her scent is hardly here."

"But the trail ends feet from the water!"

"It must have either been a jump, or at high tide." Reasoning. "She wouldn't have stayed in one place too long. She would know we would be tracking her and move on as soon as she could—the trail led us from one strip of beach, to a tiny little…civilization, to here. She must have taken off in the water at high tide—it's the only option that would make sense. I taught her the best ways to avoid Trackers, and I'm sure she took that lesson to heart."

"Fine! Follow the coast! I'm going to wait here for my daughter to come out of wherever it is she is hiding, and then I am going to scold her like there's not tomorrow! Why did we ever teach her how to be evasive!"

"Because you wouldn't let her learn to fight!" He walks away.

After a moment, I know he was gone—his splashing was quite distinct over the waves of the ocean. I hear my mother collapse onto the ground, huffing. At least now I can think. The tide should start to rise soon—the ground of my little hiding spot is already starting to puddle—and then I can discreetly move out of this place and take off. In the meantime, I can wait here and relax.

Thank god Alice can't see my future—she would have known exactly where I was, and this entire thing would have been a lot harder. She can't look for holes in her visions. I'm sure mom's determined to prove to dad that I was hiding under the sand or something, because now I hear her pace back and forth.

The tide was rising fast now—it is up to my thighs. Just a little bit longer.

My mother's footsteps recede some, and then I hear a rock dropping—mom had just sat down again. Oh fabulous. I would bet anything that she was staring right near my hiding spot. I might be able to swim fast, but I have _nothing_ on a vampire. Great, just great.

The water is now up to my stomach.

More footsteps, and immediately I thought: _white walls_.

"Hey, Alice." Said my mother, probably standing.

"Bella! Oh my god! We've searched the entire rest of the continent. She's not here _anywhere_."

"We tracked her scent here. It leads into the ocean." Mom said, the stubborn edge returning to her voice.

"Well, doesn't that mean she's gone? She probably ran off to another continent by now. We should go look for her now, while the trail is still fresh." Alice insisted.

"No! I refuse! She's still here. There is no way. And she'll surface soon enough."

"Well, let me at least wait with you." The two sat and all was silent.

The water is up to my shoulders.

Finally, after the tide started to lower itself, I found it acceptable to climb out of my cave. I carefully surface, ready to bolt at any minute, of course, and, to my great surprise, saw Alec—standing and staring. He saw my head, and slowly walks over to me. His eyes are nearly glowing red once again, and he has a burning intensity that I had only ever seen in Jacob before. His expression, however, was unreadable—though he seemed angry to me.

"Renesmee." He says quietly.

"Alec." I whisper back, knowing he hears me.

"I hope you realize how much distress you put them through—your mother, father, and everyone else. Even Jane is upset, although for different reasons. Please, come with me. I can take you to Volterra - everyone world know you were safe, and we could start a new life together. I can offer you anything you want, I promise."

"But…the rest of my family? I might be having problems with my parents, and the others might have kept the secret too, but I think that was only on their orders. I don't want to leave them…" I said, and I could feel tears in my eyes.

"I know you love your family, Renesmee, by if you want them, you need to deal with you mother, your father…that mutt." He almost smiled. "I can give you anything else you'll possibly need in Volterra. We can bring in the best chefs, or even the animals you like—lions, bears—"

"No!" I interrupted, something finally occurring to me. "I don't want to be a 'vegetarian' anymore. I want to have normal vampire food. I want to actually feed like a normal vampire. I want to be stronger and better."

A small smile now played at the corners of his lips. "That, too, can be arranged. The point is, no matter how many things you can have with your 'family', you'll have so much more freedom with us. And you will be just as safe—if not safer—with Aro than you would ever be with the Cullens." He steps forward so we are nearly touching. "Come with me, Renesmee. Please."

I stared into his ruby eyes and saw his longing. I touch his hand and send him the image that's been playing in my head for the last few hours: _we were in Volterra, in the neat garden that had been described to me so many times by mother. All of the Volturi guards litter the courtyard, and every one of the Cullens were there too. I was standing with Alec, and Jane was congratulating us, and so were my parents._

"Wow. You do have a vivid imagination. Come on, let's go." Alec smiled and took my hand.

—

"Hello dear Renesmee. This is ever the sweetest surprise." Aro smiles gleefully. "Why do you come here.?"

"Because I want to join the Guard."


	6. 5

"Really?" Aro asks, his ancient face frozen somewhere between extreme happiness and utter confusion. "And what, might I ask, brought this up?"

"Allow me." Alec said, stepping forward and offering Aro a handshake. For a moment, there is silence. Then—

"My, my, my. I never would have expected this from either of you. Yes, of course I shall consider your offer—there is much you can give to us, Renesmee. I shall contact Jane. Alec, please escort her to a room; I think the one across from yours' and Jane's should suit the situation well. Renesmee, anything at all that you need, just ask."

Alec gently grasps my hand, and we walked out of the throne room and up several flights of steps in silence. Finally, we stop. Alec opens a plain oak door, revealing a beautifully medieval bedroom. It is not large, but holds a certain feel that seemed to at least double it in size. In the center, set upon a raised stone platform, was a four-poster bed with pale gold hangings; a huge set of glass doors open to a balcony (which appears to be right over a garden); the left wall holds another oak door, and a set of cherry doors (presumably the bathroom and closet respectively); and on the other wall there is a fine blackthorn desk, complete with pens, pencils, quills, ink, parchment, and stationary. The walls are weathered, unpainted stone, as in every other room in the castle (I assume, at least); the floor is beautiful black marble; and the ceiling is painted in a rainbow of colours, blended together so that it looked like the clouds from a perfect sunset.

I gasp and stepped inside, walking right over the the bed. I pulled apart the hangings to reveal a bed made with a bright gold cover, and lush white pillows; at the head of the bed is an oak shelf.

This life will be amazing, I think.

"You've had a long day." Alec says, still standing in the doorway. "I think you should get some sleep. I'll come get you if Aro needs to speak with you."

I take his advice and collapsed onto the bed, not bothering to take off even my shoes or undo the bed. I hear the door slam shut.

Ages later—or so it seems to me—I'm awoken by a knock at the door. I open my eyes to see that I'm no longer fully dressed and lying on top of my covers, but tucked in under soft flannel sheets, wearing different jeans and a plain black shirt; the hangings have even been drawn.

"Come in!" I call as I pull open the hangings on one side to see a very pretty vampire standing there. She holds a pair of gold ballet flats out to me.

"My name is Heidi." She says, smiling as I take the shoes and slip them on. "Aro sent me to come and fetch you. He says he wishes to speak with you alone before seeing Alec."

As I stand, I take her in. She has beauty to rival Rosalie's—and that really is saying something. Her long hair was dark mahogany in colour, and her eyes were not red, as the normal vampire's would be, but a strange purple. She wore a plain red tunic over black leggings, with red stilettos, making her tall frame tower another three inches. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember Dad once mentioning something about "attraction" being her power.

"Come, young Renesmee." Gingerly, she takes my hand (I am sure all those here in Volterra know my gift) and leads me back the way we had come. Finally, Heidi releases her light grip and knocks on the door. I hear Aro's half-whispered "come in" half a second before Heidi pushes the door open.

Aro sits on his throne, the only person—vampire, creature, or human, I consider them all people—in the room. He gestures to Heidi carelessly, and she retreats out of the room, closing the door behind her. I walk forward so I am standing a few feet from Aro.

"Well, dearest Renesmee." He says; I can hear the overbearing happiness in his voice—it sort of makes me want to hurl. "I hope you have had a nice nap. After a couple of hours when I was sure you would not be waking soon, I had Heidi change you out of your filthy attire into some of Jane's old things—I can see they fit very well."

"How long have I been asleep?" I ask.

"About eighteen hours—in the time you were sleeping, Jane has returned from your Toronto home, and we have sent word to your family that you are safe, here with us. They have yet to reply, though we contacted them only half an hour ago, as Jane told me they were rather spread out at the moment." He surveys me with his milky red eyes. When I say nothing, he continues. "Now, you expressed desire to join the Guard. While I would be quite happy with that happening, Cauis brought up a point I was rather forced to concede to: you're very fragile. I don't mean that you couldn't survive a fight," he adds, seeing my expression, "but as most of the missions brought up are to kill...well, it would be rather hard. However, I would like to know more about your power. While you demonstrated that to me a decade ago, I would think that it has grown a bit stronger."

"Yeah." I answer. "It has. Back then, I could sort of project one of my memories into someone else through touch in my palms—it would be toned with an expression or feeling, but it had to have been something from my memory. Now I can project any scene or image into someone else's mind with such a conviction of truth they're not only forced to accept it, they'll disregard other memories that contradict the theory. Also, it's no longer limited to my palms; if they grab my shoulder I could have them convinced I could turn into a fire demon or something."

"I must say! That is some power. I wonder if I could see it in motion...Heidi!" He raised his voice. "Please go fetch Liana for me!"

We waited perhaps two minutes before the doors opened to reveal Heidi and a human. In any other context she would have been really pretty—what with her strait blonde hair, tanned skin, and cunning green eyes—but here she looked less than average.

"Master." Heidi bows her head again before leaving. The new girl—Liana—grasps Aro's hand for a moment before backing away.

"Good! Ok, now Liana dear, if you could just grasp Renesmee's arm or something. Just a moment."

She looked at me with fear in her eyes, but places her hand upon my uncovered forearm. For a moment, I consider showing her something really scary, but then settled on convincing her the reason she wished to become a vampire was because she hated interacting with people.

Liana's eyes slide out of focus for a moment before I drew back. Aro beckoned her forward again and, again, grabbed her hand. "Very well, Liana. You may go back." He smiled, and she turned away, looking utterly bewildered.

As soon as she was out of the door, Aro gives me a patronizing look I didn't even know he had in him. Finally, he says, "Well, I think we could have you in our Guard for some of the less severe missions. Hm...I'll get a cloak fitted for you and take care of it from there. Now, Alec informed me of your desire to change diet. I'd like to hear more about that from you."

I licked my lips nervously. "Well, I'm tired of hunting animals—to be quite honest, they don't taste much better than human food to me. When I was little, Carlisle gave me blood from a blood-drive type thing—I think they said he bought it at his hospital. Anyways, it was really good, but then I was old enough to hunt, so that cut the supply of human blood off. Dad said that animal blood didn't make much of a difference in taste, but I think that it's really bland. They must be completely deluded."

Aro laughed. "I never thought anyone that Carlisle had drinking animal blood would ever change their nature."

At that precise moment, Alec and Jane appear. They shoot Aro a meaningful look, then lead me away.

—

Three years. That's how long has passed since I joined the Volturi. And guess what? I haven't heard a thing from the Cullens—no one from the past. Not Jake, not any of the werewolves, not Alice. No one. But I suppose I couldn't have it all, could I? I'm happy here with Alec, and that's really all that matters.


End file.
